AWDs in trouble

Whats been spotted in and around our Navy
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CarlLinkenbagh
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AWDs in trouble

Post by CarlLinkenbagh »

$8BN NAVY FLAGSHIP FOUNDERS AFTER CONSTRUCTION BUNGLE

A Spanish-designed F100 air warfare destroyer outside Sydney heads in 2007. Picture: AFP Source: The Australian

AUSTRALIA'S largest defence project, the $8 billion plan to build the navy's new air warfare destroyers, has had its first serious setback.

A Melbourne shipyard has botched the construction of the central keel block of the first warship.

The multi-million-dollar bungle could delay the project by up to six months and is believed to have triggered a rift between the Williamstown shipyards, where the hull block was built, and the warship's Spanish designer.

The setback has alarmed the Defence Materiel Organisation, which sees the AWDs as its flagship project and a key test of whether Australia can sustain a viable naval shipbuilding industry.

The three new 6500-tonne destroyers, based on the Spanish F100 boats, will be the most capable warships in the nation's history when they enter service from 2014.

The Australian understands that the central keel block of the first AWD warship, HMAS Hobart, was built to inaccurate dimensions as a result of faulty welding and inadequate quality control at the Williamstown shipyards, operated by an AWD subcontractor, BAE Systems Australia.

The AWD project manager, AWD Alliance, last night confirmed there had been "difficulties in the block fabrication" of the warship in Williamstown, which would affect production schedules.

"The difficulties cannot be attributed to a single cause but production start-up issues experienced by the shipbuilder, some difficulties in specific know-how and technical data have contributed," AWD Alliance told The Australian.

"The difficulties resulted in an unexpected distortion in a component of one of the blocks."

It said two other hull blocks were found to be at risk of distortion but the issue was identified and production processes were changed.

The distortion of the central keel block - which weighs about 200 tonnes, measures 20m by 17m and supports some of the most important heavy machinery on the warship - made it potentially incompatible with other blocks of the ship that are being built in Adelaide and in Newcastle.

One AWD source, who asked not to be named, said: "This is not a small problem - this is a major headache for us. This will have a ripple effect on the whole project because that hull block is critical, and if that block is delayed, then a raft of other things also get delayed."

BAE Systems Australia has been striving furiously for weeks to rework the faulty keel block to the correct specifications to get the project back on track.

A statement from the AWD Alliance, incorporating BAE Systems's response, said yesterday the distorted block had been "remedied by reworking" but said it was too early to say exactly what impact the problem would have on the overall AWD delivery schedule.

Sources have told The Australian that the project would be delayed by up to six months.

The AWD Alliance said it was looking at introducing extra shifts to try to make up lost ground.

BAE Systems won the $300 million contract to build 36 of the 93 hull blocks for the three new AWDs last year amid much fanfare from the Victorian government, which said it would create hundreds of new jobs.

BAE began work on the keel blocks early this year.

It is understood that BAE Systems believes the bungled central keel block was the result of what it considers to be inadequate design drawings provided by the ship's Spanish designer, Navantia.

Other AWD sources said this was unlikely because AWD hull blocks based on Navantia's drawings were also being built by ASC in Adelaide and by Forgacs near Newcastle, and work in those shipyards was progressing on schedule.

A spokesman for Navantia declined to comment yesterday.

The keel blocks are the most complex and important parts of the AWD hulls. Comprising up to 2000 pipes as well as electrical systems, they provide the foundation for the ship's gas turbine and diesel engine propulsion system. The AWD Alliance includes the government-owned Australian Submarine Project, the Defence Materiel Organisation and Raytheon Australia.

BAE's Williamstown shipyards were scheduled to begin shipping completed keel blocks to ASC in Adelaide in the first half of next year.

The AWDs will give a substantial boost to naval capability especially in anti-air warfare with its Aegis combat system allowing them to provide theatre ballistic missile defence over a wide area.
Ticonderoga
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Re: AWDs in trouble

Post by Ticonderoga »

Sounds like my first scratchbuild model project........ ;)
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BsHvyCgn9
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Re: AWDs in trouble

Post by BsHvyCgn9 »

HEHEHE..... nothin wrong with yer build Tico!! I've made bigger stuff ups!!

You should post your build in the Underconstruction section I'm positive the guys will love your build!! :ninj: :ninj:

Cheers Bruce :nuke: :nuke:
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Re: AWDs in trouble

Post by MikeJames »

A very embarrassing and very public rebuke of BAe Systems

Official release

Changes to Air Warfare Destroyer Construction Program

The Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and the Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today announced the reallocation of construction work for the $8 billion Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Project.

Australia is constructing three AWDs based on a proven design from the Spanish Navy. The ships are due to be delivered from December 2014. When complete, the AWD will be one of the more capable types of warship of its size in the world.

The AWD Project is an important element of Force 2030. The Government and Defence have been actively working with Defence Industry and the AWD Alliance, which is managing the AWD project, to deliver the project. The AWD Alliance consists of ASC, the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) and Raytheon.

Construction of the AWDs involves 90 separate steel blocks being built at three shipyards in Adelaide (ASC), Melbourne (BAE Systems) and Newcastle (Forgacs). Three additional sonar block assemblies are being built in Spain and the United Kingdom.

The Melbourne BAE Systems shipyard is also building 14 steel blocks for the superstructure of two new 27,500 tonne Landing Helicopter Dock ships (LHDs) due for delivery in 2014 and 2015.

Last year the project encountered difficulties in relation to engineering and construction of some of the first AWD hull blocks. To assist the AWD project schedule, earlier this year the AWD Alliance reallocated construction of nine steel blocks from BAE Systems in Melbourne to the Forgacs shipyard in Newcastle.

The Melbourne BAE Systems shipyard remains stretched, working on two major projects at the same time – steel blocks for the Air Warfare Destroyers and the superstructure and integration of the Landing Helicopter Dock Ships.

The Government, the AWD Alliance and BAE Systems take the schedule for both these important projects extremely seriously.

In February 2011, BAE Systems advised the AWD Alliance of potential schedule delays.

Over the last few months, the AWD Alliance and BAE Systems have been working closely to develop options to improve the production program.

In March, the Minister for Defence met with Guy Griffiths, the Group Managing Director - International of BAE Systems UK, in London to discuss this project.

The Minister for Defence Materiel has also met with the CEO of BAE Australia, Jim McDowell, on a number of occasions about this project.

Earlier this month BAE Systems presented the AWD Alliance with a plan to adjust its workload on the AWD Project.

The advice of the AWD Alliance is that if no action is taken to relieve the pressure on the Melbourne BAE Systems shipyard the first ship would be two years late, approximately 25 per cent over schedule.

The AWD Alliance (with the support of BAE Systems) therefore proposes to take the following action:
Up to 13 steel blocks will be reallocated among the three Australian shipyards in Adelaide, Melbourne and Newcastle – seven for advanced fit out and six for construction; and
Up to five steel blocks will be reallocated to Navantia in Ferrol, Spain.
These changes involve the reallocation of blocks for the first two ships only and are subject in the usual way to satisfactory commercial arrangements with the shipyards.

BAE will complete the structural steel and initial outfitting work on the seven steel blocks it is currently working on, as well as all its work on the 14 blocks for the superstructure of the Landing Helicopter Dock Ships and the integration work.

A decision on the reallocation of blocks, if any, on the third AWD will be made later in the project.

This action will reduce the schedule risk to both this project and to the LHD ships project.

The AWD Alliance has advised that this action will reduce the delay of the completion of Ship 1 by up to 12 months, and of all three AWDs by up to 12 months.

It will also reduce the pressure on BAE Systems to complete the construction of the superstructure and the integration of Australia’s two new LHD ships.

Defence will plan its comprehensive options to manage the transition from the current Adelaide Class frigates to the AWDs taking into account the agreed reallocation of blocks.

Mike
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